Government of Western Australia

Department of Commerce TECHNICAL NOTE

Plumbers Licensing Board

Technical Advice Line 1300 360 897 Pressure control valves

www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-commission

This technical note has been issued to provide technical information on the terminology and use of
pressure control valves in water services installed in accordance with Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA)
and the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions in AS/NZS 3500:2003. The majority of these valves are used where
the pressure supplied from the property service exceeds 500 kilopascals (kPa).

Background Features of pressure control valves

In installations downstream of the water meter,
AS/NZS 3500.1:2003, Clause 3.3.4 states that water
at any outlet other than a fire service outlet within a
building shall not exceed a static pressure of 500 kPa.
This maximum pressure requirement is essentially
required because pressures above 500 kPa can cause
significant property damage, excessive noise in the
system and reduce the life of appliances, apparatus,
taps and fittings. Where the delivery from the water
services provider’s water main exceeds the maximum
pressure of 500 kPa, break tanks, pressure ratio
or pressure reducing valves must be installed to
maintain the desired pressure within a building’s water
supply. The installation examples in this technical
note represent an acceptable plumbing solution in
accordance with the PCA.
Importance of pressure reduction
There are a number of reasons why it is important to
reduce pressure from the water services provider:
• protect piping components and fixtures;
• water conservation;
• Plumbing Code of Australia performance
requirements;
• maximum pressure within a building at any outlet
other than a fire service outlet shall not exceed a
static pressure of 500 kPa – ‘Deemed-to-Satisfy
Provisions’ (AS/NZS 3500.1); and
• critical pressure management must include a
pressure relief valve downstream.
Thermal expansion
A backflow preventer or check valve installed in a water
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Features of pressure reducing valves include:
• adjustable pressure range 100 kPa – 600 kPa;
• diaphragm design;
• more accurate with varying inlet pressures;
• no creep on down-stream; and
• serviceable.
Features of pressure limiting valves include:
• are non-adjustable;
• piston design;
• are less accurate with varying inlet pressures;
• have a greater tendency to creep on down-
stream under no-flow condition (as much as
30 per cent); and
• are non-serviceable.
Types of installations
The types of valve installations include:
• single regulator;
• multiple regulators – more than one regulator
installed in series; and
• parallel regulators – more than one regulator
installed in parallel.
Single regulator installation is most commonly
installed in residential applications. This installation
requires that the regulator is able to maintain a
reduced static pressure with all demand flows; from
zero to full capacity.

supply line causes a closed system.

A closed system can create excessive pressures in
the heated water lines when the thermally expanded
water has no means of escape. The pressure build-
up occurs as the heated water expands in volume
due to a rise in temperature. In Western Australia the
fitting of an expansion control valve on storage water
heaters will relieve this pressure during the heating
cycle. If an expansion control valve is not fitted then
the temperature/pressure relief valve will be the
only means of relief. Trapped pressure can lead to Diagram 1: Single regulator
potentially dangerous situations.
 Multiple regulator installations in series is used in
special situations where a wide variance between the
inlet pressure and the desired reduced pressure exists.
Excessive pressure reduction is generally considered
when the reduction is more than 4 to 1 ratio (i.e. 1,400
kPa to 350 kPa).

Diagram 2: Regulators in series

Parallel installations are used for systems with

low to high flow demand. Consists of a group of
parallel regulators, all receiving water from a common
source. After flowing through the chain of valves,
water enters a common service line of sufficient size
to service the system at the reduced pressure. Low
flow is serviced by smaller pressure reduction valves
and as demand in the system increases, the larger
valves come into service.
Typical pressure reduction station

Diagram 3: Regulators in parallel
(see photograph to the right)
Appropriate method for selecting the proper
valve and size
1. Calculate flow required for the application in litres
per second (L/s).
2. Estimate delivery pressure of the water in
kilopascals (kPa).
3. Determine the maximum allowable difference
between flowing pressure and static pressure or
the rate of “Fall-off”. (The rate of “Fall-off” is not the
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NOTES:
1. It is recommended that available static pressures
be tested at various times of the day to determine
maximum and minimum expected pressures. Peak
periods will lower static pressure and at times of
low demand static pressure may be elevated.
2. The water services provider should be consulted
to determine if there is any planned reduction in
pressures in the area that may adversely affect
the installation. Information about maximum static
pressure where work is planned may be available.
3. Consideration should be given to locating the
pressure control valve to serve the building only,
as required by AS/NZS 3500.1:2003, Clause 3.3.4
(500 kPa maximum static pressure within the
building). This would ensure that other services
are not adversely affected by a lower pressure, for
example reticulation installations.
4. When selecting valves for controlling pressures in
water services, consideration should be given to
matching the particular operation required to the
characteristics of valves available. Valves should
then be installed and tested to manufacturer’s

same as pressure drop).

specifications and relevant Australian Standards.
4. Apply this information to appropriate flow charts
to determine the type and size of valve/s that best
suits the installation’s needs.
 Plumbers Licensing Board Level 1, Mason Bird Building, 303 Sevenoaks Street
(entrance Grose Avenue), Cannington WA 6107
Postal: Locked Bag 14, Cloisters Square WA 6850
Plumbers Service Line (08) 6251 1377
Technical Advice Line 1300 360 897 Facsimile: 1300 449 185
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-commission plumbers@commerce.wa.gov.au

Notes
The technical note series is issued by the Plumbers Licensing Board to assist the plumbing industry to comply with
the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 applicable to plumbing work in Western Australia.
Each technical note is to be read in conjunction with Part 6 of the Regulations that currently adopt the Plumbing
and Drainage Standard AS/NZS 3500:2003 but modified in certain matters to suit the State’s building approach and
other local conditions.
Feedback
The Plumbers Licensing Board welcomes your feedback. If you have any questions on this technical note or any
suggestions on any areas of plumbing work that the technical notes should cover, please contact the Board’s
Senior Technical Officer on (08) 6251 1377.
Copies
Technical notes are published at www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-commission. Printed copies may be made
available on request by telephone (08) 6251 1377 or email plbedu@commerce.wa.gov.au
February 2016

Disclaimer
The material published by the Department of Commerce (Plumbers Licensing Board) is provided voluntarily as a service to the plumbing
DP0302/2016/ February 2016/ Online

industry. The information and advice provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at
the time of publication. The information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the
matters discussed therein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information. Changes in circumstances after a
document has been published may impact on the accuracy of the information. No assurance is given as to the accuracy of any information or
advice contained after publication. This publication may be reproduced or copied without charge for research and educational purposes with due
acknowledgment of the source.
© February 2016 Department of Commerce